Advancing technology is providing ways to make some diagnostic services mobile and available in locations other than traditional medical settings. Students in LBW Community College’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) program are getting a head start in learning about mobile services, thanks to equipment purchased through a Perkins Grant.

“Now in the DMS lab is a new, portable Siemens ultrasound machine, which allows students hands-on experience on the type of equipment used in mobile scanning labs,” said Program Director Olivia Bush, BSRT(R), RDMS, RVT.

“These units are now being used more frequently by sonographers in various areas of healthcare because they are light-weight and portable. With the advancement of technology, these units produce quality images that are comparable to traditional ultrasound machines. It is important that students have the opportunity to train on all types of equipment they will utilize in the workplace.”

The new equipment allows students to practice abdomen, OB/GYN, small parts, and vascular ultrasounds, she said.

LBWCC’s DMS program is one of five programs in Alabama accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and the only one available for Southeast Alabama. Students completing the program are prepared to take the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) exam and become a credentialed professional sonographer.

For more information about LBWCC’s DMS program, call 334-493-5345.